The inaugural launch of the Atlas has been delayed again, this time because of spacecraft problems. International Launch Services announced late Friday that the August 12 launch will be pushed back because of delays preparing its payload, the Hot Bird 6 satellite, for launch. ILS hopes to reschedule the launch for later in August, depending on the status of the spacecraft and range availability.

A Delta 2 launch also scheduled for August has been delayed because of a review of the launch vehicle's wiring. The Air Force asked for a check of the wiring in a Delta 2 that will launch a GPS satellite after finding abrasions in similar wiring in a Delta 4 being built in Alabama. No new date for the launch, which had been scheduled for mid-August from Cape Canaveral, has been set.

NASA has replaced one member of the next long-term ISS crew with his backup, the space agency announced Friday. Donald Pettit will replace Donald Thomas on the Expedition 6 crew, scheduled to go to the station late this year. In a statement NASA said that the change "results from a medical issue that affects Thomas' long-duration space flight qualification" without providing any additional details.